


Sanctuary

by UbiquitousMixie



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 12:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2348948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UbiquitousMixie/pseuds/UbiquitousMixie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: b is for better</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FakePlastikTrees](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FakePlastikTrees/gifts).



> Just a little something for my homegirl. Hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

Stirring, Callie blinked, her eyes adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings. It took only a few seconds to recognize the warm, butter yellow walls and the colorful striped bedspread of Addison Montgomery’s guest room. Memories of the night before trickled in through the sleepy fog of her mind--hours and hours on the open road, a restless toddler in the backseat, frantic knocking at Addison’s door. There had been no discussion, no questions; steady, unwavering Addison had offered her sanctuary without one word of explanation. Callie would tell her in time, and Addison would listen. 

Callie nestled back into the mattress, burrowing beneath the soft duvet while she listened to the murmur of voices in another room. The bed was empty and the door open just a crack, and a frisson of worry was eclipsed by a sigh of relief that Sofia was with Addison. She’d never get used to these selfish thoughts; what kind of mother was she that she reveled in a few solitary moments while her put upon friend babysat? 

She rubbed her hands over her weary, tired face as an onslaught of emotion hit her like a wave. There was guilt for not calling Addison ahead of time and not staying awake long enough to offer a proper explanation; there was sadness about the betrayal of her wife; there was relief to be out of Seattle; there was a pang of anxiety at not knowing what would happen next. 

She didn’t know what the hell she was going to do about the mess her life had become, but one thing was for certain: she had come to LA to escape, and she needed to give herself a damn break. 

A shriek of laughter drifted down the hall, the mirthful sound of it tugging Callie’s lips into a grin. Her heart ached with love for her daughter. Her sweet, beautiful girl was old enough to wonder why her other mother wasn’t around, but she was mercifully young enough to be spared the pain of knowing the reason behind their impromptu road trip. Callie was immensely grateful for that fact. 

A few moments was all she needed; pulled by a need to see her daughter’s smile, Callie got out of bed, rifling through her suitcase until she found a pair of balled up linen drawstring pants. She didn’t particularly want to wear them, but she was unsure of whether or not Addison would appreciate Callie traipsing around her house clad only in a t-shirt and cotton panties. 

She padded barefoot down the hall, pulling her unkempt hair into a messy bun. She paused in front of a decorative hall mirror, grimacing at the sight of the dark circles beneath her swollen, puffy eyes--crying for hours had done a serious number on her makeup, and sleeping in it had made her look like a bonafide racoon. Licking the tip of her pinky, she wiped away the mascara as best she could. Addison had seen her looking worse following their nights of drunken debauchery, but they hadn’t seen each other in nearly a year, and Callie didn’t want to look like a complete trainwreck. It was the best she could do without a hot shower. 

Callie headed for the kitchen, stopping just short of the door so that she could peer in unnoticed. She noticed Addison first, standing in front of her stove in a tank top and shorts, wielding a spatula. Her red hair shone in the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Callie bit her lip and looked away, pushing aside thoughts that this view rivaled that of the beachfront outside. At the table, Sofia was strapped into a high chair, her tiny fingers poking at the contents of her plate. Beside her, in a smaller chair, was Henry, his cheeks filled with food. 

“Momma!” cried Sofia, clapping her small hands at the sight of her mother. 

Addison whirled around, grinning at the sight of her friend. “Hey you!” 

“Good morning,” Callie said, smiling at the warm reception. How long had it been since she’d been greeted like this in the morning...or at any other time of day? She crossed the room, pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. 

“I stole your kid so you could sleep a little longer,” Addison mentioned, answering Callie’s unasked question. “We were all wide awake and we mutually decided to get a start on breakfast while you got your beauty sleep.” Her smile was wide and her voice bright and cheerful, as if she were directing her comments to the under 3 crowd, before looking directly at Callie and lowering her voice. “After last night, I thought you needed it.” 

“Was it that obvious?” 

“Well, you did show up on my doorstep after midnight…” 

“Good point.” Callie guarded herself for the inevitable line of questioning, but they never came. Instead, Addison squirted some batter onto the sizzling frying pan before pouring a cup of steaming coffee. 

“Still take it with a little milk?” 

Callie nodded, grateful and touched that she remembered years after they stopped having weekly coffee dates. “You are my hero.” She wrapped her hands around the mug, inhaling the intoxicating scent. “Can I help with breakfast?” 

“Nope.” Addison handed her a plate. “I’ve got this. You sit and drink some coffee and let me make you breakfast. You can start with that.” 

The brunette smiled, enjoying the pleasant tingle in her stomach as she sat at the table beside her daughter. It felt so good to be taken care of, to have the responsibility lifted from her overburdened shoulders. “Looks--” Callie looked down at the plate and laughed. In the center of the plate was a wiggly pancake with a blueberry at one end. “ _Weird._ Addison, what on earth is this?” 

“It’s a snake,” she replied with grave seriousness. “With blueberry eyes. It’s the only fun shape I can make and Henry loves them. Don’t you, little man?” 

The boy nodded emphatically, making a hissing sound as his pudgy little fingers waved a decapitated snake at her. 

Callie chuckled. “I love it.” 

“I could make you some grown-up pancakes if you’d prefer.” 

The brunette raised an eyebrow. “And just what are grown-up pancakes shaped like?” 

Addison threw her head back and laughed. “Oh god...I think they might come out looking like blobs rather than what they’re supposed to look like.” 

“So then they’d just look like….pancakes?” 

“Boring.” 

Callie scrunched her nose. “Yeah, I’ll pass on that and stick with the snakes. I’ll take about 300 more, please.” 

“Coming right up.” Addison flipped the two pancakes in the pan. “I was thinking later that we could take the kids down to the beach...they can build a sandcastle and we can talk. What do you say?” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I’ve got beer.”

Callie swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “It sounds perfect...exactly what I need.” 

She caressed her fingers against Sofia’s cheek, overwhelmed with gratitude to be at her best friend’s with her daughter. She needed to be here, to be out of Seattle, to be out of the home that had become stifled by lies and excuses and betrayal. She’d never been one to pat herself on the back for running away from her problems, but she’d give herself a pass on this one. It wouldn’t solve her problems and it wouldn’t make things at home any easier, but it would give her the clarity and space she needed to figure out what to do about it. 

And that, for right now, made her feel the tiniest bit better.

\---


End file.
